Historical Environmental Situation of Hoi An, a Port of Central Vietnam, in the South-China Sea Trade World

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This project, in which archaeologists, historians and agrohistorians took part, aimed at an interdisciplinary research in the history of Hoi An, a famous port city in Central Vietnam, based on the achievements of international symposium held in March 1990.In August and December 1990, Japanese members visited Vietnam to cooperate with Vietnamese members for the purpose of investigation of archaeological, historical and ecological sites in and around Hoi An. They also examined some historical documents held in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh city and in Japan.In archaeology, they obtained a good result that they confirmed the accuracy of the hypothesis of the succession of bronze age (so-called pre-Sa Huynh culture), iron age (Sa Huynh culture) and Champa culture in this region. Now they look forward to investigate more pottery to testify this hypothesis.As for ecology and agrohistory, they studied mainly the change of river streams and its influence upon the position of port city and the situation of agricultural exploitation. They found many valuable sources such as land registers in the 18th and 19th centuries.Historians intended to find materials of the "Japanese quarter" in Hoi An, but almost in vain. Therefore, they had better study not only the direct relation between Vietnam and Japan but also the whole trade network on the South-China Sea to clarify Hoi An's historical position as a keystone of this area.Based on these results, the members are now planning the next research project in order to study the development of agricultural exploitation and rural society in the Central and South Vietnam which lied behind the emergence and development of the South-China Sea trade network in general and its center Hoi An in particular.